MCCers statement on Cedecol church gathering

For me it was noteworthy that all speakers, everyone from the Mennonites and other Protestant denominations with more defined theologies to more independent evangelical and Pentecostal churches, consistently and without exception spoke of nonviolence as the only option, and, therefore, a non-military as the only sustainable solution ("salida verdadera"), the complicity of the government in structural and military violence, and the need for the Protestant/Evangelical church to speak with a unified voice. This was not at all the case when I was here last time.

While noting this forward movement, we have to recognize that the practical implications of these spoken words would be hotly debated among those gathered. For example, for the Mennonite Church the above positions clearly lead to non-participation in all armed groups, including the military and conscientious objection. I'm sure many church leaders present at San Andres have young people in the army and would stridently disagree with this position.